For the First Time
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: Austin scores a record deal that will take him and Ally to NYC. They're so excited, only to find when they pick up and move there, the deal was all a lie. Now stranded in the city, with no money to make it home not to mention, they begged their parents for months to go there in the first place , they have to make it with very little... it's proved tough, and these times are hard.
1. Summary

**Short summary for the first chapter, but I wanted to let you all know that this is my first chaptered fic on this section ever. I'm really excited for this and I hope I do the characters of Austin and Ally justice.**

When Ally and Austin decided to move to New York, Ally had not expected it to turn out like this. Of course, she knew the city wasn't all glam and pretty lights like depicted in pictures, but she expected something _more_ from the man she had grown to call her best friend. He had been promised a record deal from an indie company based out of Manhattan. That had fallen through within two weeks of being there, and he was left to play small clubs on the weekends and the occasional weeknight just to make ends meet. She worked a diner, busing tables and serving customers. It was barely enough to pay for their shitty apartment, let alone by food and … actually live to the standards of what they had back in Florida. That's bad enough, but throw in the feelings that have been sinking in since the moment they met, and how much they miss back home, will the two friends survive? Or will their New York minute be cut oh so short?


	2. Steal the Show

**Thank you so much for the reviews and such over the summary! I'm glad you guys are excited for the story. I know it seems like I should probably start the story in NY, but the chapters that lead up the NY part of the story are important as well and need to be told. Anyway, here is the first chapter. I'm not sure how someone who was a talent scout would try and recruit someone, so please excuse me if it's completely wrong, haha. I also checked for grammar and stuff, but I'm impatient so I only checked once. I wanted this up. PLEASE let me know what you think. It helps so much to know what you thought of the chapter.**

* * *

Dez and Austin could be some of the craziest guys Ally had ever seen. But she had grown to love the two of them, even if they constantly caused havoc in her store. She watched with a smile as they watched a video on the internet, giggling like they were little girls as they did so. Just as she went to say something to them about the increasing volume and the damage it could do to their ears, Trish came running in, wearing a cat on her head. No, not a stuffed cat. A real, living cat which looked very angry with her.

"Uh, Trish, you have a cat on your head!"

"And why wouldn't I?" She did a little spin, nearly sending the cat flying off of her. "You're looking at the newest employee of Carly's Cat Rescue!"

"They make you wear a cat?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Well, they want to get as many cats as possible new homes. It helps to show your animals… or something like that. I wasn't actually listening when my manager told me. This is Bob, by the way. He's not a friendly cat. I don't think he'll…"

Before she could say another word, the cat jumped off her head and went running into the mall. Trish shrugged and walked closer to the counter. "It wasn't like I liked that job anyway… but here is the real reason I'm here… Austin's got a gig tonight!"

"What?" Dez and Austin said at the same time. He came toppling over the counter and perched his chin gracefully onto her head, much to her own dismay. She scowled up at him but he only grinned in response. "Gig… where? Please tell me Taylor Swift is going to be there!"

"Heck yeah!" Dez agreed.

"No," Trish said with a slight frown, "But it is a very coveted show with talent guys from all over the country… LA… New York… anywhere you think of famous people, these guys are from! It was really hard to get a spot on the show, so you should consider yourself lucky, Austin!" When he didn't say a word, she shoved his chin off of Ally's head and smacked the stunned boy. "You're welcome!"

After a second, Austin smiled, nodding his head. "Alright! This sounds awesome! Ally, we should totally rehearse a few songs before the show tonight. Think you could close down the shop for a few hours?"

Ally looked worried for a moment. If her parents came back from their vacation early, she would be screwed. But what they didn't know, couldn't hurt them, so being very un-Ally like, she smiled widely and flipped the closed sign down on the door. "Let's go!"

"_I'm gonna make… make, make you do a double take!_" Austin did a spin as he finished one of his internet hits, giving his best friend a wide grin as he did so. He laughed as he fell onto the bench next to her, leaning in and hugging the smaller girl. He frowned though, after realizing how many times he'd played this song in the mall over the last few months. "This is good, Ally. I mean, it's catchy. But don't you think we need something new? I think we need to wow the judges, or whatever, who are there. Maybe we could get a deal. Imagine where it would take us!"

Both stopped for a moment and imagined their dreams.

Ally saw herself behind stage, watching Austin perform her hit song while he looked happiest. She was happy herself, almost too happy that this was her life. Her friends were all around her, as they watched the show… and it was just perfect.

Meanwhile, in Austin's fantasy, he was sitting around a table with Dez, watching some video on a golden laptop, which he had bought for Dez with the millions of dollars he would make.

"You wouldn't even change anything from this afternoon?" Ally laughed, pushing him. "Just make it more expensive."

"No, we would be watching me perform to millions of fans on that laptop… of course. I just like the idea of a gold laptop. It would add to Dez's collection of gold things… ask him to show them to you sometime. I think he's even got a golden figure of you and Trish. I don't know how though."

"Does Trish know about that?"

Austin smirked and shook his head. "No, and don't tell her."

The young songwriter agreed to this and then thought for a moment, wondering how she could make his concert better later. Then, she remembered something she had written a few weeks ago and smiled a bit evilly (for her… her evil smile matched to Trish's was nothing). "How about a love song?"

"We've been over this, Ally," he groaned loudly. "My only love type song is the one I did back at that diner, and that's as close as you're gonna get."

"Austin, everyone knows that a good love song is a hit," she countered with a frown. "You've got to have a love song eventually. I've seen the comments on tubeyou, they want a love song! I have something perfect for them! And trust me; it's a perfect love song for you. It's got heart while it still makes them happy. Hey, you even get to sit down for this."

"I don't like sitting still!"

"Don't we all know," she laughed lightly but then pulled out her songbook. She flipped a few pages and then started to play the opening chords. Austin listened and even he, after a second or two, started to nod his head. "I knew you would like it. Play this in front of everyone, and they'll love you. You can play this, Double Take, and Not a Love Song."

"Perfect," he agreed, pulling her up. He looked at his phone and then smiled his own evil smile at her. "We got a few hours before we have to meet Trish and Dez at the building. How about I buy my favorite songwriter some lunch?"

"Favorite? I better be your _only_ songwriter."

He laughed at his actually worried friend and patted her on the back. "You are, Ally, you are."

When lunch was over for the duo, they headed back to their houses, preparing for the night's show. Ally looked through all her dresses, trying on as many as she could in the short time she had for "dress up". She wanted something pretty but elegant. Something that would catch the eye of the people around her, something that screamed "I wrote that song for Austin… but don't call me up there with him!"

After what seemed like hours but was really only a few minutes, she settled on a flower dress (that Trish would call later "oh so Ally") and set herself in front of the mirror. Ally wasn't much for make up, but found it made her look a little more sophisticated when it came to shows and other Austin gigs. While Trish did the talking and Dez did the recording, she was often at the side, watching. Sometimes, Austin would mention her, and the crowd would turn to look at the young but timid girl and she liked to look pretty.

"Jeez, chica, what took you so long?"

The voice made her jump and she turned around to scold her friend. "Trish, there is a door outside my house for a reason!"

"And you gave me a key for a reason," she giggled back.

"And I regret that every day," she whispered low enough where Trish couldn't hear her.

"Anyway, what is taking you so long? You're usually the first one ready. Come on, the show starts in less than an hour and we still have to pick up the boys!"

Ally hated that Trish had recently gotten her license. It meant that she had to deal with loud music and Trish's terrible anger problems and all of that, with her driving a vehicle.

Still, they managed to make it to Austin's in one piece and picked up the other duo of Team Austin with minutes to spare. And with another ten minute drive to the arena (okay so it really wasn't an arena… it was barely a stage) and once they arrived, they realized just how late they had really been.

Trish dragged the blond boy off to the backstage arena and meanwhile, the other two decided to find a place in the crowd. Pleased to actually find a spot near the front, they read over who was performing that day. Mostly local talents with a decent sized name to end the show. Several talent scouts names were listed below the singers, and Ally got a giddy feeling at this. Dreams were made of moments like these. A random scout would enjoy a local performer and never again would you be able to say the person's name without a million people buzzing. While that seemed a bit crazy, Ally still hoped for that.

"Show starts in a few minutes," Ally said absently, looking around her. The place was pretty filled and she noticed some people walking around with papers, and looking at some of the performers. They were fixing guitars and humming songs, none of them looking nervous. Seconds later, the blond mop of hair that was Austin joined them and Trish joined her friends.

She looked excited. "This is great! I just talked to a scout backstage… he put Austin on a show for next week! It's another local event… but the more we get his name out there… who knows where we can go!"

Ally looked shocked, but not because she didn't believe the reasoning behind it. "That's great! And he hasn't even sung yet!"

"Shh, the show is about to start!"

Ally listened to the opening people talk, explaining that the event was to showcase the so many great performers in Southern Florida, giving them a chance to show what they were made of, and give the residents a show to enjoy. The girls exchanged an excited look and Dez put his camera on. They sat through a few decent performers, not anyone was great. No one was able to take the crowd into the palm of their hands and actually make them get up from their seats. Ally grew bored; not even the performer in her could enjoy some of these people.

Finally though, the name they had waited almost an hour to hear, was shouted through the microphone and the chords to _Double Take_ started to play. The crowd was up in seconds. It was like the place came alive. Ally watched with pride in her eyes as he danced and sang, giving the crowd the show they came to see. He was effortless in his actions; it was nothing short of great.

He finished off the piece, landing in the same pose he did to Ally only few hours earlier. He grinned at the crowd and met his friends' eyes. Without saying a word, they knew he was happy and thankful.

Once again, Trish whispered, "You're welcome."

He smirked at her and then got onto the next song, once again, making the crowd go nuts. They all knew got good he was and this wasn't a surprise. Over the last few months, the more shows he played, the better he got. He had gone from a fun performer to a really damn good and almost professional, in the matter of weeks. And it showed. They had watched back the videos from the first video and saw how much he had improved last week.

As the next song ended, Austin pulled up a seat and smiled directly at Ally. "This song is written by my best friend and songwriter as well, and I just want you all to know how wonderful it is. Only Ally could get me to sit still this long."

_She's all laid up in bed with a broken heart… while I'm drinking jack all alone in my local bar… and we don't know how we got into this mad situation, only doing things out of frustration… trying to make it work, but man these times are hard…_

The crowd could only be described as nuts after the song was over. They erupted from the small area, Team Austin being the loudest, of course. He was smiling larger than ever before, almost laughing he looked so happy. He rushed off stage after and ran to his friends with the biggest grin on his face.

But before he even got to say a word to anyone, someone tapped him on his shoulder.

"Mr. Moon, I'm Roger Green and I'm with Talent Relations. I work at Grudge Records, and unlike our name, we produce indie pop music. I just want to say I'm very impressed with your voice and overall performance."

Austin nodded thankfully and smiled warmly as well. "Thank you." Team Austin was silent. This was something none of them had actually expected right away.

"We'd like to invite you to our studio in a few weeks time. We'd love to have you record one of your songs and if the boss likes what he hears, perhaps offer you a contract."

"I actually have demos of all my songs cut already, if you'd like to take a listen."

"Do you have them on you?" Mr. Green asked. Trish dug around in her bag for a moment, actually prepared for once. He took the few discs from her and nodded. "Great. I'll take these with me if you don't mind. I know this is a lot, and you're exhausted from your set. But please, take my card. I'll pass these over to the owner. If you give me your number, I'll give you a call in about a week's time."

Austin nodded once more. After a few more minutes of explaining and compliments, the scout walked away.

All were silent for a moment and then the girls started to giggle, going into high pitched shrieks. "Austin! Oh my God… did that just happen?"

Austin just smiled. "I have a great feeling about this."


	3. Happy Birthday, Austin

**Once again thank you for the reviews! I'm so happy people like this and I'm really excited about this chapter**

**A few things. For this story, all of Team Austin are 18. You'll see Austin turn 18 in this chapter. And it's the summer, so they're all done with school. And while nothing else is mentioned, it's pretty obvious that neither Austin and Ally have plans. Trish is Trish, and Dez thinks he's going to become famous because of his best friend.**

**This chapter doesn't feature any music, but I will be using several song in this story. The Script is the title and was used in the first chapter. Next chapter, is also going to have a song. I think you'll like it. As for this chapter, it really shows how their friendship has evolved.**

**I'm trying to keep the characters how they are on the show. Austin, confident and loud at times. Trish, of course is loud. Dez being... well, Dez and Ally being quiet and shy. I won't be keeping it as to the show in future chapters. One of my problems with Disney is how they protray characters at times. Dez is just silly at times and ... that's boring after a while. He will get serious in this story. Ally will get more open as the story goes on. She'll be less Ally like. Trish will stay a loud mouth, but she'll also show more sides to her. And Austin... well, Austin is going to have some fun chapters ahead of him. Not fun for him, but awesome to write. He will have a much softer side once they make it to NYC.**

**Anyway, enough about the story and here it is! Enjoy!**

* * *

A few days passed and Team Austin went back to what were their usual days. Austin and Dez destroyed the music store, earning a constant scolding from Ally, while Trish had gotten fired from Carly's Cat Rescue and was now working at Balloon Boutique near the food court. Ally had remained her silent self, dreaming of possibilities of where this all could go.

Austin walked into the store right before Ally's shift was over for the day. He leaned against the counter, offering that boyish grin she loved so much. Secretly, it made her heart stutter and her mind turn to mush. She never acted on those feelings though, as even when he thought she liked him, he had acted strangely. To actually find out that she really did? She didn't even want to think of what would happen.

"Let's go for a walk on the beach," he suggested after a moment when Ally didn't say a word.

Snapping from her dream-like state, she nodded. "Sure."

It was a beautiful night, Ally realized as the salt water hit her face. The waves crashed almost musically at the shore, giving her a second to appreciate where she lived. The sun was setting deep into the sky, casting shadows along the sand, and leaving a pinkish glow to the beach. She loved this time of day and was never happier to spend it with Austin.

"So," she said when they finally reached the boardwalk. "Have you heard from that talent guy?"

Austin shook his head but smiled. "No, and I'm not worried about it. He said give it a week. And if I don't, it's okay. I was just happy to have the opportunity to play such a large show. It can only lead to better things."

She was surprised by the words he just said. "Really?" she couldn't help but ask.

His face caved instantly and he shook his head faster than she had ever seen before. "No! Why hasn't he called me? I mean, you saw the show. I was great! My voice and songs have never sounded better! I'm doing so well. Why hasn't he called?"

Ally chuckled and shoved the whining boy toward the water. He pouted but pushed her back and they ended up in the warm Florida water, laughing and splashing as the waves crashed around them. He pulled her down into the surf and the water went over her head. Absently in her mind, she thanked God she didn't wear that white top today. How embarrassing would it have been for her!

Instead, she pulled him under with her and managed to not drown in the process of this insane splashing.

The moment they pulled out of the water and landed onto the wet sand, soaking wet themselves, Ally tapped him on the shoulder. "For the record, if he doesn't call, he's crazy."

Austin was quiet for a while and then he rolled over, covered in sand. He tapped her on the shoulder and leaned forward in the sand. "You really think so?" he asked. It made her smile… he was always so sure of himself as a performer, but she could tell this was driving him nuts.

She nodded her head and smiled. Then, it dawned on her. His eighteenth birthday was in only two days. Hers had just passed a few weeks ago… it was crazy to think it had been two years since this all started. "What are you going to do for your birthday?" she finally said.

He seemed surprised by her question, looked down and then smirked a bit. "Well, I actually kind of forgot, to be honest. With the record company and all, I was pretty much only thinking about that."

"Austin!" she yelped. "It's your eighteenth birthday! It has to be special!"

"Why is that?"

Ally shrugged after wondering for a moment. It had to be special. "It has to be special… it's a big birthday! Let me and Trish through a party for you at the store. Invite a few friends over, have some food. Please?!"

He started to laugh and pushed some hair out of her face. "No offense, Ally, but when I think of a party… your name doesn't really appear first in my head. Thanks, but I think I'll just keep it low key for the day. It's just another birthday!"

While Ally didn't say so, she was pretty hurt. She didn't consider herself a party animal by any means, but that didn't mean she wasn't any fun. She could invite all of the cloud watchers over, invite Dallas even! He would have so much fun; he wouldn't be able to contain himself! She pouted and then shrugged her shoulders as if it didn't matter to her.

"Whatever you say, Moon."

"Come on, Trish!" Ally pleaded a few hours later, at her best friend's house. She had stopped there after walking with Austin for a while longer. Trish's house was on the way to hers, and she had stopped to convince her friend to throw Austin a party, but Trish wasn't having it either. "It will be fun! It has to be fun for him! Its his birthday!"

"No offense Ally, but you're not much of a party animal."

She threw her hands in the air and growled at her friend. "Why does anyone keep saying that to me?!"

Trish giggled. "Sorry, but it's true." When her friend just stared at her like she was going to cry, she sighed. "Okay, stop staring at me like you're a puppy. I'll tell you what. If you let me plan the actual party, we can have it at the store. I'll invite the guests and decorate. Can you handle ordering the food? Or do I have to do all the work around here?"

Ally snorted. "Trish, you don't do _any_ work around here."

She laughed a bit. "Very true. And I don't want to start now. So, is it a deal?"

She could deal with that. "It's a deal. This is great, Trish! Now we just have to get Austin there! He's going to love it!"

Getting Austin to a place he didn't want to be at, was apparently harder than it looks. Ally was growing frustrated a few days later when she found out Dez couldn't get him to leave his house. He had been trying for hours, but Austin wouldn't leave his bed. Around her, many people were already enjoying Trish's planned party, and she couldn't blame them. The store looked amazing, decorated in a music themed way. Not that it surprised her… after all; they were in a music store, right?

Little neon lights that were shaped like music notes were all around the store, in different colors. Some of Austin's songs were set up to play on Dez's laptop, meanwhile, the hits played. Trish had gotten Ally to bake some cookies, which were shaped like Austin's head. According to Trish, Dez had a cookie maker that made them look like Austin. She didn't want to know where he got it, or how he managed to make it do that.

Trish grew frustrated next to her. She had put hours into planning this party last minute and wanted the blond boy there, not sleeping in his bed. And Ally knew a frustrated Trish was not a fun Trish. She backed away from her, and dialed Dez's cell again.

"Any luck?" she whispered.

Dez sighed. "No! And he didn't even want my cookies! Austin loves my cookies! Why is this happening?"

"Oh, Dez. We have bigger problems than your cookies right now. Why doesn't he want to come?"

"I don't know!"

Ally looked back at the party and then sighed. "Okay, I'm coming over there. Someone's has to get him here before Trish destroys the place. And we don't need that, either. I'll see you in a minute."

After hanging up the phone, Ally darted out of the mall and down the street to where Austin lived. She met Dez at the stairs and followed him to her friend's room… where he was still under the covers, sleeping. She shook her head at Dez and told him to wait downstairs. Then, she closed the door and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I already told you, Dez, I'm not going. So, go away. And leave some of those cookies when you go!"

Ally cleared her throat. "Austin, I'm not Dez."

He sat up instantly and looked at her. "What are doing here, Ally?"

"I'm coming to bring you to your party, that's what."

"I'm not going, so you can go away now."

"Austin!" she cried. "What is the matter? I don't understand. We worked so hard on this party and you're not going to come?"

"Ally, I told you already that I'm not going. I didn't want you to throw the party in the first place. Please, just understand that and go. This is how I want to spend my birthday."

"Why, Austin?" she demanded, pulling the covers off of him, making him jump in surprise. She was surprised too, as Austin was only clad in his boxers. She couldn't help but admire him for a moment and then stared into the eyes of her annoyed friend. "I don't understand. You love stuff like this? And it's your birthday! Talk to me… what is wrong?"

Her pleading eyes seemed to do the trick and his expression softened a bit. He got up and paced the room, finally putting on a shirt much to her dismay. He sighed, and sat back down. "I made a promise to myself a long time ago, that if I wasn't signed to a deal before my eighteenth birthday, I would give up on singing. And now I am and the guy hasn't called. It's been over a week now. He obviously wasn't interested and I'm still unsigned. Why is it worth it to bother anymore with music? I should just stay in bed and never leave it again."

Austin had a knack for being like that… but this was just silly. She laughed a little and ignored his scowl. "Austin, you're eighteen."

"Don't remind me," he growled.

"You're eighteen," she said again, and placed an arm on his shoulder. "You're eighteen, not thirty. You're young. Not every artist is discovered before they turn eighteen. You just need to realize that not everyone is going to like your music. If he wasn't interested, there is always someone else. Maybe that's why it didn't work out. Maybe at your show next week, someone is going to see you play and offer you a better deal. You can't look at this as a bad thing, and you can't think your music career is over just because you didn't reach a deal you made when you were younger. You still have plenty of time before that. And if you're still not signed by thirty, then you can give up. Don't give up now. Look at me," she demanded when he looked away. She met his eyes and smiled warmly at him. "I know how talented you are. Dez knows how talented you are. Trish even does, even if she doesn't show it. And most of all, I know _you_ know how talented you are. So, don't you dare give up on me."

Austin didn't say a word for what seemed like forever and Ally couldn't help but wonder if her words hadn't gotten through to him. She went to stand up when he pulled her back down and grinned.

"Ally Dawson, you have yourself a deal. But if I'm thirty and still unsigned, I want you to punch me in the face and tell me to never sing again. Is that a deal?"

She chuckled, knowing it would never happen. "Sure, Austin. It's a deal. Now come on, we have to get to your party before Trish hits someone!"

Austin laughed as he threw on some clothes and followed her down the steps. "And hey, Ally?"

She turned around with a smile. "Yeah?"

He nodded at her. "Thanks."


	4. A Promise

**I actually started this chapter with intentions of it being a lot longer until I realized how important the ending of this chapter will be in the future. Next chapter is definitely one of my favorites to write as well, but I feel leaving off where I am going to on this one, is important. Anyway, thank you for the reviews and such on the last chapter, and I promise you will enjoy what is up next. I'm loving writing an excited but really nervous Austin and a much more adult like Ally. I know Ally is already very adult like in the show, but this one shows how she has gotten along since what we see on TV. And I can't help but make Dez a bit jealous in this chapter. ;) Hehe.**

**As for what is to come, there are only probably two more chapters, maybe three before we get to NYC. I know it seems like I'm dragging it, but it's the moments that lead up to NYC, which are really important later on. I mentioned this already, and you can see in this chapter too how much Austin and Ally have started to lean on each other for support. And Ally's crush on Austin, of course. Will Austin like her back? You'll have to wait and see.**

* * *

Ally ushered the last of the party goers from her music store, sighing happily as the room finally settled back in its quiet. She leaned against the heavy metal frame, closing her eyes. After getting Austin to calm down, the party had been such a great time. Not only had Austin taken the stage at his own party and rocked it as usual, Trish had also proved she could sing her ass off, and had left the party an hour before with a blond of her very own.

"You look relieved," a voice chuckled.

She snapped open her eyes and smiled warmly at the birthday boy. "Just glad that my store is empty again. I loved having everyone here, but it's a lot to worry about. Someone could've gotten hurt, or someone could've hurt something in the store…"

"Oh, Ally, you worry too much," Austin muttered back, patting her on the shoulder. She made room for him at the door and they stood quietly for a moment together. "I had a great time. Thank you. I'm glad you got me to come."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Austin, great things are coming for you. I can promise you that."

He smirked at her, and she couldn't help but feel a bit in love. He was so perfect and he had no idea. "I think I'm just going to take it day by day now. Or at least try to. I might need some reminding," he joked.

"You can count on me." And she meant that.

The next morning, Ally prepared for her shift at Sonic Boom with a cup of tea, and her morning cloud watching. While she wasn't into it as much as she used to when she was younger, Ally often found herself sitting on the porch of her house, watching random clouds for her own entertainment.

It was going to be a beautiful day. The air was warm and the constant smell of salt was in the air. Ally looked down at her dress she picked out that morning, playing with a frayed edge. She knew she was meeting the others for lunch when she got off, and that was what kept her from whining about such an early morning shift at work.

Finishing her tea, she set off for the mall. It was already busy for a Sunday, and she found herself helping customers the moment she unlocked the door and set down her bag. Everyone needed something and had a million questions, so she didn't even notice when her friends came walking in, looking for her to leave for lunch.

She was frantically chasing after a little boy with a guitar in his hands, begging him to put it down when they walked over, laughing to themselves. Ally didn't have a mean bone in her body, so the boy was just laughing as he darted through the sections of the store, enjoying his game with the employee. Ally grew tired and threw her hands into the air, giving up. She walked up to the others, growing even more annoyed. "Just waiting for my shift to be relieved and then we can go," she told them with a slight laugh. "He's already ten minutes late."

They groaned, obviously annoyed with the newest employee of Sonic Boom. The boy was in his early twenties, and had a tendency to smell of pot. Constantly late, Ally had to wonder why she even hired him in the first place. But then, seconds before she was ready to lose it on the little boy who now another guitar, the employee walked in, mumbling about bad traffic. She doubted that, but nearly flung the keys at him and ran out of the door.

"Team Austin are now all eighteen!" Trish cheered as she took a sip of her soda. "This is great."

Ally giggled to herself and took a bite of her lunch. "So, how was the rest of your night, Trish?"

Trish's eyes fell. "Oh, you mean with that blond kid. It was alright. He was a bit of a bore."

"What blond boy?" Dez asked. Ally stared at him and couldn't help but notice he looked a bit jealous of there being another boy in Trish's life.

"He was nothing, Dez. He kept trying to get me to see a movie so I just agreed. He took me to a chick flick!" she complained, mostly to Ally. As much as Trish loved chick flicks, she knew the girl could withstand some of the most downright disgusting horror movies around and preferred a guy who could watch them with her. "He cried. Ally, he cried when the movie ended."

Ally snorted and looked at the two boys, who now seemed bored out of their own minds. "Oh, boys. So, what did you do after the party last night, Dez?"

"Went to bed," he said simply.

"We're such party animals," Austin said with a laugh of his own. He went to add something when his cell phone started to ring. He put one hand up, as if to say, hold that thought and answered the phone. "Hello? Oh, yes. This is Austin Moon. Oh… yes, yes! I remember you."

Ally frowned a bit. Who was he talking to?

"Come down to the studio later today? Yeah, I could do that. I don't have anymore music samples that are recorded, but I definitely could sing whatever you want me to. I'd be honored, man. Of course. Okay, let me just get a piece of paper and I'll write down the address. Yeah, thanks. Okay, yup. Sounds great. Thank you so much. See you in a few hours."

Austin hung up the phone and Ally was sure that the sun had competition for the brightest thing in Miami that day. Austin's smile was bigger than she had ever seen before and she didn't have to ask who was on the phone because from the second he looked at her, she knew. Ally was up before anyone else and she ran over to hug him, telling him she knew the person would call. They stared at each other for a moment, both mentally reminded of the chat in his room last night, and the chat on the beach.

"They want me to come downtown to hear me live at four," he finally said, looking to all his friends. "If the boss likes what he hears, they want to sign me. He liked what he heard on the tape, but said something about live music being different from what is recorded. This is unbelievable!"

Team Austin all jumped up, talking at once. Trish and Ally were discussing the possibilities of Austin being signed to a label, while Dez was asking he'd still be able to record his videos once his was famous.

Ally stopped talking and really looked at Austin. It was the first time in a while that she could really see he believed that he could do something. Sure, he felt on top of the world at the concert too, but there was something different about the Austin standing in front of her. She couldn't be more proud of him and momentarily got lost in her own thoughts.

"Ally?"

Reality slapped her back.

"I was asking you something," Austin chuckled.

"Oh. Sorry. What's up?"

"I wanted to know if you'd like to come with me later." A brief second of worry crossed his confident expression. "I'd be nice to have someone in my corner."

"I'm busy," Trish explained. "And Dez has to… I don't know what he just told me. Something about a new jam recipe."

Dez smirked and nodded.

"Yeah, of course," she agreed, not thinking about it for a second. Ally couldn't wait to see Austin perform what would be ironically, the smallest yet most important concert of his internet famed, but soon to be much larger career. "I'd love to."

He grinned back at her, almost wildly and then jumped into the air. "This is the greatest day of my life!"

Trying to keep Austin occupied until four that afternoon was proving difficult for Ally. He wanted nothing more than to ride downtown and start singing his heart out, but she knew if he showed up early, something wouldn't go right. So, until they needed to leave, she had convinced him to get some ice cream with her, and watch some clouds.

"I told you this a long time ago, Ally, but I am not a cloud watcher," he complained as he licked some of the ice cream off his cone. "You can enjoy it. But I won't."

"It'll calm you down," she insisted, pulling him along. "Just lay back and relax."

They were sitting in a park near the mall, under a large maple tree that had enough openings between leaves that made it so you could see the sky. She was leaning on the tree itself, making Austin sit and enjoy what was above him. He handed her his ice cream and sighed, lying down. He stared at the sky for a few minutes and when Ally was going to ask if it was really "that bad", she noticed he seemed to actually be into it.

He wasn't saying anything of course, but he seemed at ease. She knew he was nervous but excited and needed something to bring him to that Austin that came onto the stage at shows. This was perfect. And he thought cloud watching was stupid!

"I think you should lie down next to me," Austin said suddenly and she felt her cheeks redden a bit. She looked at the ice cream in her hands and went to make an excuse, but noticed the way he was looking at her. After putting the ice cream in the nearest garbage can, she sat next to him and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Can you promise me something, Ally?"

This was not what she expected. His eyes and the way he kept staring at her was making it really hard to not show how much she really loved him.

Ally stared back into his eyes and finally nodded. "Of course."

"Promise me that if this all works out, and I get the deal, that you'll never leave me. That you'll do this with me and we'll always be a team. I don't want to become anyone if it's not with you. Walking into Sonic Boom was one of the best decisions I ever made in life. It brought me my best friend and gave me my career. It gave me the chance to do what I wanted to do. It gave me friends and if this all works out, I don't want to be the rockstar that gets famous and forgets everyone who helped him on the way up. I want us to be on the way up. Not just me."

He was being so sincere, she couldn't help but feel her heart jump into her throat. "Austin, I think you're over thinking this." That was not what she wanted to say, but what she felt was best. Because if she said what she was really feeling, Austin might run away screaming and that would ruin everything they had worked for.

"Ally, I know it seems a bit ridiculous to say right now. But I want to know you won't leave. That we'll always be a team. Promise me that."

"Austin…"

"Ally, promise me."

She looked at the innocent boy in front of her and couldn't help but smile. He was so perfect. "I promise, Austin. It'll always be you and me."


	5. The Contract

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and favorites and such! You don't know how much I appreciate them and loving hearing back. I know begging and such for reviews is annoying, and I definitely agree, but I can understand the thought behind it. You should see the smile on my face when I get emails from FF telling me someone favorited, or read, or reviewed, etc. I'm pretty sure all authors can agree that its one of the best feelings to have when it comes to a story!**

**Anyway, onto this chapter. I don't really like it, as I wasn't sure how to portray the talent scout's boss, and I didn't know how something like this would happen. But, I think it ended up a pretty good chapter even with all the mess that I added in, and I love how the talent scout acts in this. He seems a bit off for a reason, haha. But I'm loving making Austin and Ally lean on each other, especially more than what you see on the show. Its hard to portray Austin as confident yet worried at the same time, but it works after a while.**

**The next chapter is the last one before the story leaves for NYC!**

**Yay! Hehe. Please let me know what you think of the chapter, if you don't mind. Enjoy!**

* * *

Austin smiled warmly back at his best friend and for a moment, Ally thought Austin was going to kiss her. She sighed happily to herself, enjoying the smile he gave her. Until his panicked voice interrupted her sweet moment, yelling, "Shit, Ally, we're late!"

He had jumped up and was running toward the street, leaving her lying on the grass looking like a moron. Ally stood and dusted off her jeans, following after the worried blond boy. They were late, which was a problem, but it was almost amusing to see him frazzled. After all, she was usually the one who was panicky.

Once Ally caught up with him, they nearly ran all the way downtown, making it in front of the building with seconds to spare. But this building was odd, she couldn't help but notice. It looked like an apartment building, not a recording studio, to her. But then again, she had never been inside one, so what did she know? Ally followed Austin up the steps and watched as he opened the worn metal door. It creaked a bit and then slammed shut when they entered.

She jumped, laughing to herself. "This is like a horror movie, Austin."

"Not helping," he snapped, but playfully.

She chuckled again and they walked down the hallway to a door that was nothing but plain metal. "Are you sure we're in the right place?"

He nodded, double checking the address. "This is what he gave me. Guess I should knock."

Just as he raised his hand to do so, the door opened, showing the talent scout from several days ago. He gave a weird smile to the pair and ushered them inside, patting Austin on the back. "Good to see you again, Mr. Moon!" Ally took in the place as the two guys made small talk. It looked much better inside. It was decked out in pictures, mostly of singers on stages, singing their hearts out. Ally felt a warm feeling surge though her, hopefully Austin would be added to this wall.

"Nice, isn't it?"

Ally looked into the eyes of Roger Green, noticing just how intimidating he actually was. "It is. Wonderful. Are these all yours?"

"Yes," he said instantly. "Well, of the company, that is. All home grown talent, who made it in the business. Some more than others."

"I hope Austin joins this wall," she told him honestly. "When will we meet with the owner?"

Mr. Green nodded thoughtfully and clapped his hands. "Okay, that's what we are here for, yes? Let me just get him and we'll be making music magic in just a few short minutes!" He stopped before running off. "Just wow him like you did me at the concert the other day, Mr. Moon and you'll be in the spotlight soon enough!"

Austin smiled at Ally when Mr. Green disappeared behind a curtained wall, waving his arms around like a child. "Take a look at this place! It's awesome!" He was right. Even the paint job looked like a star. Just beyond them was the recording area, lit up with many flood lights and decked out with more recording items than Ally could set her eyes on. There were a few seats scattered around the room, all focused on the glass wall in front of them. Inside there, stood one single microphone and a music stand.

"Wow," was all Ally could find herself to say.

"Mr. Moon!" Mr. Green returned, flashing another smile. "This is Robert Olive, executive producer of Grudge Records. I was just telling Mr. Olive about how wonderful you were at the show." He paused, giving the two a look that said 'promote yourselves' and then flashed another grin at his boss. "Bob, this is Austin Moon and Ally Dawson. They're partners in Austin's career."

An expensively dressed man stood in front of teen, eyes drawn on the two teens. Ally felt intimidated immediately, as if he was judging her. Backing a bit behind Austin, his reaction was enough for them both. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Olive. It's such a pleasure to be here today. I'm really hoping to impress." If it wasn't for the professional importance of the day, Ally would have snorted. Austin never talked like that.

"Hello," was the only word he said.

Austin's smile faded.

"Okay!" Mr. Green said, clapping his hands. "Lets get you behind the wall and get you singing!"

Ally watched as Mr. Green led Austin through another door, leaving her with the stoic man. He stared at her, still looking like he was trying to decide if she was worth it. Dressed in a black suit and wearing dainty looking glasses, Ally felt very unimportant.

"It's very nice to meet you, sir."

He nodded shortly.

"Okay!" Mr. Green shouted, jumping into the seat in front of them. "Let's here you sing! Start off with that Not a Love Song you played the other night." He leaned backward, eyeing Mr. Olive. "This is a really catchy song, Bob. I believe you said it had a lot of potential when you listened to it."

Bob nodded again, eyes staring at Austin. Austin seemed a bit nervous as he started, but as the beat got to the chorus, he was the star Ally knew him as. Beaming at her best friend from behind the glass, all she did was give him a thumbs up sign as the song ended. If they didn't like that, they were crazy.

"Nice," was all Bob had to say.

"Maybe you should sing a Million Hits next, Austin."

Austin nodded and began to sing the next song. This continued for nearly a half hour, him singing some of the songs that Ally wrote, and singing several of the hits on the radio. Bob remained very quiet the entire time, only spouting one word answers to each performance. Ally didn't know what his reaction should have been. Obviously as a producer to a music record company, he saw a lot of talent in this place. She didn't expect him to be jumping up and down, but a little more emotion would have helped her nerves, Austin's too.

"Okay and do that last song you sang at the show, okay?" Mr. Green leaned forward with excitement, nodding to his boss. "This one is what makes him a star, Bob. I'm telling you. Money and lots of it!"

Ally was nervous as the newest song she wrote for Austin began. He gave his all, not that he would give any less, and when it was finished, Ally was just jumping with happiness. It sounded better each time he sang it. Only if he really knew just how talented he was.

Ally stopped, remembering it was Bob who he had to impress.

He stood there, staring back at the fidgeting Austin.

He then looked down to the smiling Mr. Green and nodded his head. "I like him."

"That's great!" Ally shouted, realizing after no one asked her.

She blushed wildly as Austin laughed.

"Okay, that is great!" Mr. Green finally agreed, jumping up. "Why don't we meet in the main office in a few minutes? Give Austin a moment to regroup and then we'll discuss where we go from here. Bob, join me for a moment, please? We should probably listen to the demos a few more times."

They disappeared, leaving an excited Austin, but still very nervous too, in front of her. He grinned as they hugged. "Did I really do well?" he whispered into her ear.

"Best you've ever sounded," she told him honestly. "If he doesn't sign you, he's crazy."

Austin nodded, the excitement fading into more worry and they walked to the front again, sitting down on a loveseat. Ally sat as close to him as possible, hoping the excitement she was still feeling would get him to smile again. She was nervous too, but if they saw that he didn't believe he could get this, she worried they would say no.

He turned to her after a few minutes, looking really thankful. "That song you wrote is making my career, Ally. Thank you."

"I told you, you needed a love song," she joked, pushing him. When he pouted, she only patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Just worry about being awesome."

"I'm always awesome," he snorted. They began to push each other back and forth, laughing as it turned into a dance war of sorts. When a voice cleared their throat, both stopped and stared into the eyes of the two record company people in front of them. "Sorry," Austin replied shortly. "We were just having some fun."

"That's okay!" Mr. Green said brightly.

She took this as a good sign. If he was happy, maybe they were going to offer him a contract. Then again, the man hadn't stopped smiling since they walked into the door. Would he smile if they were going to be turned down? Ally couldn't help but wonder this, and went off into her own thoughts as both started to talk. Suddenly, Austin was hugging her.

Why? What had she just missed?

And his smile was so wide; she thought he might make his lips split if he didn't stop soon.

"Ally? You still with us?" Mr. Green asked.

Ally nodded and then blushed. "What did I miss?"

"We've got an offer!" he told her, shaking her shoulders.

"Really?" Ally jumped up, forgetting Austin was still hugging her. She looked at the two men in front of her with the biggest smile of her own, and wondered how the emotionless man that was Bob would react to her hugging him. Probably not the best idea she's ever had.

"Yes!"

The two enjoyed the moment until Bob cleared his throat again.

"I'm happy you two are excited. Now, of course there are details. This is just a six month contract I'm offering you now. I want to see how Austin does with our label and when the six months is up, we'll consider a longer contract. Now, of course, since you're both eighteen, no parental consent is needed, but if you wish to ask, that is fine by us."

"You're offering me a part, too?" Ally wondered.

Mr. Green smiled. "Well, of course. We both enjoy your lyrics, and it's obvious that Austin relies on you. We'd be silly to not think of how this would help him."

Ally grinned stupidly. Her dream was coming true.

"Of course, we'll have to make sure the main office agrees with us, but not a problem, if you ask me."

"Wait, I thought you were the main two guys?"

Mr. Green chuckled. "Oh, no. Austin, this is just the Florida chapter. We have several across the country to find local talents to bring back to our main label. If you haven't noticed, our studio is in a very odd part of town." They nodded. "But of course, the main studio in New York is much, much nicer."

"New York?" both Austin and Ally asked.

"Why, of course," Bob said, finally breaking the silence. "That is where we are located."

"But… you guys also keep people over here, right?" Ally said, knowing she didn't make much sense. New York was a long way from Florida, and she felt uneasy all the sudden.

Mr. Green shook his head, and both teens looked at each other. "Austin, if you accept this contract, you're going to have to move to New York City."


End file.
